| Understanding different behaviours |  |
Increasing job satisfaction | |
Jean's proven strategies |
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However, there is a difference between left-brain selling and buying, and right-brain selling and buying. As a business, you have something to sell and you need people to buy or to make the decision to buy. Always remember that organisations don't buy - people buy. When we talk about features and benefits, we can relate them to left-brain and right-brain values. Left-brain people value features: right-brain people value benefits. Why? Because the features are concrete, tangible, measurable and can be subject to cost, delivery and service negotiation. Benefits are personal, intangible, emotional and can be imagined. In short, left-brain dominant people will base their buying and selling style on features: and right-brain dominant people will base their buying and selling style on benefits. Features and benefits analysis A feature is a component of a whole which can be described in terms of its contribution to the satisfactory performance of the whole. Each feature should carry a benefit to the buyer and benefits can best be described by asking ‘What will each feature do for the buyer?’ In order to market, advertise and sell, you must identify a number of features within the product or service and match each feature with one or more benefits for the buyer. For example, a feature of a fountain pen is that the ink flows consistently through the nib onto the paper as the person writes. The benefit to the owner of the fountain pen is that there will be no ink blotches on the paper or the fingers, and the writing can be done in confidence that the words will appear as the pen moves across paper. The writer can therefore relax and concentrate on the message. The following ‘Features and Benefits Checklist’ demonstrates the movement between left-brain and right-brain characteristics in identifying features and benefits. This information is invaluable in preparing copy for publicity and promotion for both general and targeted audiences. Features
and Benefits Checklist Left-brain
questions:
Right-brain
questions:
Now,
a case study in the art and science of selling: A sales team consisted of equal numbers of left-brain dominant persons and extreme right-brain dominant persons. There is no need to emphasise that their selling styles were dif-ferent. More importantly, their success levels varied. The left-brain dominant persons excelled in the administration, structure and rou-tine associated with selling. They weren't too good on customer relations, but were tops in product knowledge and promoting and explaining product features. Their sales figures were below target. The right-brain dominant persons excelled in customer relations, building team spirit, being enthusiastic about the product, generating leads and promoting product benefits. Their heart was not in administration, structure and routine. Their sales charts resembled a roller-coaster ride. The sales manager, strongly left-brain dominant, was new into the position. When confronted with the orientation scoring, we were able to understand the differ-ences and the strengths of the salespersons, set about rescuing the team and improving sales performance. After being introduced to orientation and analysing the team’s scores, the left-brain dominant persons saw value in adopting right-brain behaviour in their customer relations, and quickly learned to recognise the difference between left-brain and right-brain customers and left-brain and right-brain buying styles. They also understood the difference between left-brain and right-brain selling styles. Each person became confident about their natural styles and the strength of their natural styles: each person began to value the natural styles of the other orientation and how the two orientations together made up one dynamic sales team. Person to person selling When selling directly, or person-to-person, it is wise to remember that the left-brain style of buying and selling will focus on features and the right-brain style of buying and selling will focus on benefits. For instance, when selling jewellery, the left-brain style is to focus on the price, any discount, technical features of the item, how long it will last - everything that a right-brain oriented person doesn't want to know. The right-brain style is to focus on what it feels like to touch the product, how it looks on their dress or body, how beautiful it will look and how wonderful it will make the wearer feel, how the light brings out the brilliant colour and the names of famous people who wear similar pieces of jewellery. The right-brain style of buying is to try it on, feel it, stroke it: the left-brain style of buying is to hold it under a strong light to check for faults, ask about the components, perhaps even the re-sale value. If a right-brain dominant customer tries a piece of jewellery on, they enter into their own fantasy-land about how grand they will look and how wonderful they will feel when they own it and wear it. It is wise for the salesperson to sell the emotion, personal appeal, excitement rather than the actual piece of jewellery. If a left-brain dominant customer tries a piece of jewellery on, it is wise for the salesperson not to enthuse but rather to indicate that the value of the piece can be immediately recognised as it is being worn while im-pressing them with the price, the discount, the quali-ty and the guarantee. Similarly with car salespersons. When a person who comes in to look at a car is left-brain oriented, they will have been everywhere: they will have looked at every kind of car in their preferred engine size and price ranges, and will have checked out prices, discount rates, delivery dates, engine detail. Right-brain dominant people? They just want to smell the leather. They want to look at the colour range, the style, get the feeling of being in it and driving it immediately. When they have their feelings sorted out, then they’ll talk price and detail. That's the difference between selling to left-brain and right brain dominant people. In business, every one is a buyer and seller of something: it can be ideas, information, opportunity, knowledge, programs, products, services, buildings, equipment, machinery, etc. It is wise to remember the effect of orientation on buying and selling.
Article posted Winter 2007
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1. |
accept that people can think and act differently to you, |
| 2. | understand why they do, and then |
| 3. | apply this knowledge and understanding in managing problems, creating opportunities and accepting challenges." |
Left
and right brain orientation offers a means of increasing your
business brainpower.
The
ability to understand and predict human behaviours plays a key
role in determining successful business and personal relationships.
Being able to anticipate behaviour enables you to provide solutions
to problems within specific workplace, business, domestic and
social environments.
Business
brainpower can provide the key to developing successful work
teams, enhancing processes and achieving agreed results. If we
can understand and anticipate the behaviour of people in business,
we are much closer to increasing job satisfaction, effectiveness
and productivity and being able to confidently capitalise on opportunities
as they arise. For example, managers, supervisors and team leaders
are able to integrate left and right brain orientation into their
management, supervisory or team-leader styles to improve and enhance
job satisfaction and commitment, including their own.
As
already explained, there are 3 major components of a task, ie
the task itself, the people involved with or affected by it, and
the environment within which it is to be accomplished or achieved.
A left-brain dominant person values the task component, a right-brain
dominant person values the person component and a centre person
values the environment component.
Take
an equilateral triangle, with angles and sides of equal value
and importance. The 3 angles and sides complete the triangle.
If
you increase the size of any one of the three angles and you will
automatically reduce the size of the other two angles. You no
longer have an equilateral triangle. You no longer have three
angles of equal value and importance.
Value
system
Our
dominant orientation gives a fair indication of our values, in
that we each value the characteristics of our dominance. We more
easily and willingly allocate our money, time or attention to
the things we value, ie the characteristics of our dominant orientation.
In summary, our orientation displays evidence of our values.
By
identifying with the values associated with another person’s
orientation, we have a ‘point of entry’ into that person’s
value system. With this point of entry, we identify with the component
they value and are then in a position to firstly influence and
secondly move their consciousness, understanding and value into
the remaining 2 components:
| • | A left-brain dominant person enters a situation through their natural value of the task component. Once into the situation, they can move their consciousness, understanding and value into the person and environment components. |
| • | A right-brain dominant person enters a situation through their natural value of the person component. Once into the situation, they can move their consciousness, understanding and value into the task and environment components. |
| • | A centre person enters a situation through their natural value of environment. Once into the situation, they can move their consciousness, understanding and value into the task and person components. |
The
objective is to have each person aware of and committed to the
3 components of person, task and environment while maintaining
their natural orientation and value.
When
working with a left-brain dominant person, we can adopt a left-brain
style of communication and behaviour, for example:
| • | emphasise the importance of the task itself |
| • | focus on results and outcomes |
| • | delegate responsibility to analyse the problem |
| • | discuss facts, analysis and interpretation of facts |
| • | speak directly and stick to the point |
When
working with a right-brain dominant person, we can adopt a right-brain
style of communication and behaviour, for example:
| • | emphasise the importance of the people involved in the task |
| • | focus on feelings, personalities and personal qualities |
| • | delegate responsibility to brainstorm solutions |
| • | discuss possibilities and forward vision |
| • | speak in anecdotes, conversational style and ask about their experiences and observations |
When
working with a centre person, we can adopt a centre style of communication
and behaviour, for example:
| • | emphasise the environment within which the task and persons will be involved |
| • | focus on both task and person .. but in an objective manner |
| • | delegate specific tasks |
| • | display leadership and give direction |
| • | provide a structured opportunity for choice or involvement. |
| 1. |
A supervisor was having extreme difficulty with her administrator. When the scoring and explanations were completed, the supervisor better understood and respected the administrator’s natural style of thinking. Together they organised and achieved an improved working relationship. The
problem, very briefly... the supervisor was naturally a
lateral thinker: the administrator was naturally
a literal thinker. |
| 2. |
A project manager’s style made the office a difficult workplace - finding fault with everyone and everything. She undermined everybody's confidence, including her own. Her right-brain dominance explained that she invested her emotions into everything she created. When her written work was dismissed or amended, she experienced a sense of personal grief. The
solution, very briefly... as project manager, she needed
to keep her emotions separate from her project work, and
her left-brain dominant peers needed to understand and accept
the importance of her feelings. |
| 3. |
A business owner was relying on his manager to carry out his instructions. They had enjoyed a love/hate relationship over a long number of years. Their main problem was this... they both thought ‘in pictures’. And in sharing their ideas, they each simply described the picture they had in their own mind at that time – which usually happened to be different. Now, each person's picture changed frequently, and their descriptions always lacked detail. As each expressed his ideas to the other, the other created his own picture of what was being expressed. No
wonder it was a love/hate relationship... they enjoyed each
other's energy and enthusiasm, but they couldn't communicate
effectively. Things got a bit rocky as each tried hard to
accommodate the other. Gradual-ly they found an equilibrium
and the whole business benefited. |
| 4. |
A business owner was worried about her accountant. Worried, but in an unemotional way. She brought the accountant in to her office and gently sought an understanding of the problem. After an hour or so, the accountant went back to her desk with her problem solved. The owner found that the accountant had a personal difficulty and needed a ‘friendly ear’ and time to find a solution: so the owner easily and objectively facilitated the process of finding the solution. At no stage did the owner become emotionally involved with either the problem or the solution. She firstly allowed the accountant to release her emotions so that she could consider a solution. The owner had adopted a left-brain style: a right-brain style may well have focused on emotions, but ignored the problem. |
Activity at every level of every business consists of planning, implementing and evaluating one or a number of individual tasks or situations: some will be of major significance and many will be routine or of relative insignificance. Yet it is predictable that each task or situation will consist of 3 major components:
1.
the task itself
- ie: what needs to be done, why, how, when, where, at what cost
2.
the person or persons involved with or affected by the task
- ie: who, who for, by whom, who else, together with their needs,
interests and aspirations
3.
the environment within which the task is to be accomplished or
achieved
- ie: the broad environment, eg political, cultural, social, economic,
geographic: or the immediate environment, eg organisational issues,
buildings, equipment, facilities, physical comfort
A
left and right-brain business is deemed to be a business that
includes orientation as an analytical tool, one which values relationships
and allocates time and energy to make each relationship as effective
as possible in order to increase and enhance the performance of
the business.
This
is what I call ‘business brainpower’, defined
as:
the ability to understand how people think and act differently
to you, why they do, and how to apply this knowledge and understanding
to manage problems, create opportunities and accept challenges.
Business
brainpower is an important contributor to business effectiveness.
Organisations are made up of people: it is often said that organisations
don’t make decisions, people do. Therefore an effective organisation
is one that fully understands, respects and capitalises on the
orientation in internal and external relationships.
Orientation
indicates a person’s natural style, characteristics and
behaviour, and is based on the dominance of either the left or
right hemisphere of the brain. My writing introduces 3 styles:
• left-brain style, where the left hemisphere is more dominant
than the right
• right-brain style, where the right hemisphere is more dominant
than the left
• centre style, where there is almost no dominance between
the left and right hemispheres
Organisations are made up of people: it is often said that organisations
don’t make decisions, people do. Therefore an effective
organisation is one that fully understands, respects and capitalises
on the orientation in internal and external relationships.
Examples
of Left and Right Brain Characteristics are given in the following
Table 1, an extract from The Left and Right Brain Business (Jean
Roberts, 1997)
Table 1:
LEFT BRAIN CHARACTERISTICS |
RIGHT BRAIN CHARACTERISTICS |
| -
linear/sequential in thinking and problem-solving (a-b-c-d-e-f---) |
-
non-linear 'flashes' of insight and intuition in thinking and problem-solving (y-m-f-a-x-e---) |
| -
convergent thinker . a logical train of ideas linked in an ordered way so as to find the one 'right' answer . enjoys the exploration of facts and figures |
-
divergent thinker . starts with novel solutions, ignoring the problem . enjoys the exploration of ideas and possibilities |
| - problem oriented | - solution oriented |
| - rational and analytical | - intuitive and holistic |
| -
direct statements . uses fewer words |
-
free wheeling language . conversational |
| - a preference for structure and systems | -
feels uncomfortable with structure and systems |
| - places 'task' ahead of 'people' | - places 'people' ahead of 'task' |
| - quantitative | - qualitative |
| - objective | - subjective |
| - intellectual | - emotional |
| - realistic | - imaginative |
| - more conservative | - more flamboyant |
| - prefers detail | - becomes impatient with detail |
| - past-oriented | - future-oriented |
| - discriminative | - integrative |
| - preference for fact | - preference for fantasy |
| - uses closed questions | - uses open questions |
| -
appreciates and prefers analysis and introspection |
-
appreciates and projects the global perspective, the total picture |
| - prefers structured workplace | - prefers informal workplace |
| - works best in isolation | - works best in a team |
These
characteristics are the two extreme ends of a continuum, and there
are many characteristics along the continuum between the two extremes.
People
will display characteristics along the continuum, but it is possible
that they will display some of either left-brain or right-brain
orientation more frequently than others.
Left-brain style – where there is a noticeable dominance of left-brain characteristics:
•
more inclined to display and value an analytical, logical, rational
and structured style and approach
• can excel at defining and analysing a problem
• can suffer from 'analysis paralysis' and have difficulty
drawing themselves away from the depths and detail of a problem
into the exploration of possibilities for solutions
• tend to be excellent task-achievers, and can excel at designing
a practical and workable action plan
• focus best on detail and may miss the big picture
• tend to internally process information before making an
objective statement or observation
Right-brain style – where there is a noticeable dominance of right-brain characteristics:
•
more inclined to display and value a lateral, intuitive and flexible
style and approach
• can excel at exploring possible solutions to a problem:
they are global and conceptual, and focus best on possibilities
• tend to be excellent people-supporters, bringing out the
best in others through their warm enthusiasm and interest in their
ideas and activities but can suffer from emotional overload
• focus best on the big picture and may dismiss details
• tend to process information externally through their own
and others’ conversation, before making a subjective and
often emotional statement or observation
Centre style – where there is only a slight dominance of either left-brain or right-brain characteristics:
•
inclined to either remain neutral, almost as observers, and may
eventually adopt
either a left-brain dominant or right-brain dominant behaviour
as they think or feel necessary or appropriate
• focus on the context or environment within which people
are working or operating, and may determine their behaviour according
to the way they interpret the context or environment
• prefer to react rather than initiate
• may lose focus by switching between the big picture and
the detail
• can be excellent negotiators, mediators and peace-makers
My
relevant publications are:
• The Left and Right Brain Business (book)
• Managing your Workplace Relationships (Issue Paper)
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